The present invention relates generally to the destruction of military grade weapons, particularly weapons with fragmentary and shrapnel ejection during detonation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of suppressing the velocity, quantity, and ultimate destructive force of shrapnel inherent in the destruction of fragmenting munition weapons, subsequently providing a safer environment during the destruction of such weapons by controlled detonation.
Militaries and governments around the world have amassed vast arsenals of weapons grade munitions, such as mortars, grenades, and the like. Many of these weapons were designed to disperse deadly shrapnel at high velocities upon detonation. This shrapnel dispersion can be achieved using numerous different methods, such as the munition casing itself being fragmented upon detonation, self-contained shrapnel pieces dispersed upon detonation, or many other methods. Upon detonation, this shrapnel is designed to be ejected at tremendous velocities and sometimes extremely high temperatures for the purpose of piercing and destroying armor, personnel, or anything else within the immediate vicinity.
However, as is inherent with any type of munition, shrapnel dispersing munitions have a fixed life span, thus becoming extremely unstable and unreliable past their design life. As such, and combined with the worldwide current demilitarization of fragmentary and shrapnel munitions, there is a need for an effective, safe and efficient manner to dispose of surplus and aged weaponry.
Presently, the main method of destruction of these weapons is to simply detonate them in a controlled environment. The majority of times this controlled environment is nothing more than a deserted location. However, inherent with this type of destruction technique, the fragmentary and shrapnel purposes of the munitions still achieve their design goals by ejecting dangerous shrapnel in all directions and at tremendous velocities, although in a somewhat more controlled situation. As such, this type of destruction is quite dangerous. The present invention overcomes this limitation by, for example, greatly reducing the kinetic energy and the quantity of ejection shrapnel.
Another common method of destruction is manual dismantling of the munition itself. As can be expected, this process is extremely dangerous for the personnel performing this function. The munition must be carefully disassembled, defused, and correctly disposed of. As such, this method has several limitations relating to the dangerous nature of dismantling the munition devices and properly disposing of the remaining products. The present invention overcomes this limitation by, for example, negating the need of dismantling the munition prior to destruction.
As described in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,569, issued on Mar. 23, 1999, I have previously created an improved method of destroying fragmentary and bomblet munitions. As disclosed in my xe2x80x2569 patent, I describe a method of first removing the individual bomblets from the cylindrical munition casing and placing them into an adjacently placed carrier tube, preferably constructed of an organic plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride. As described in my xe2x80x2569 patent, manual intervention and manipulation of the individual bomblets is subsequently negated, thus providing a safer method of removal from the munition casing.
As I further disclose in my xe2x80x2569 patent, the carrier tube, now containing the bomblets, is then placed in a Fragmentation Containment Unit (FCU), shaped like a large, fortified bucket, which is subsequently placed within an explosion containment and suppression chamber, as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,662, 5,884,569, and U.S. Pat. No. Re. 36,912. As such, by placing the carrier tube with the bomblets into the FCU, the FCU acts as a primary means to suppress the deadly shrapnel during the destructive detonation phase. However, to further enhance fragmentary suppression capabilities, upon placement of the FCU within the explosion containment and suppression chamber, I disclose suspending an interlocked steel blast mat of woven steel cable or linked chain directly above the FCU. As such, upon detonation, the plastic carrier tube is completely vaporized, the FCU absorbs a majority of the initial explosive shock and shrapnel, wherein the FCU directs any remaining shrapnel vertically, due to the shape and geometric configuration of the FCU, whereupon it is absorbed by the suspended steel blast mat and the surrounding explosion containment and suppression chamber.
However, a limitation of my xe2x80x2569 patent is that over numerous and repetitive destructive explosions, the kinetic energy released within fragmentation and shrapnel from the munitions during detonation is so intense, the interior surfaces of the explosion containment and suppression chamber begin to deteriorate and crater due to the continuous high-velocity bombardment of fragments and shrapnel attributable to fragmentary and shrapnel munition destruction.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages and/or shortcomings of known prior methods of destroying fragmentary and shrapnel munitions and provides significant improvements thereover by, for example, proving a method of drastically reducing the fragmentary dispersion velocity and ejection quantity.
An object of the present invention is to provide a safe and effective method to destroy fragmentary and shrapnel munitions.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method of suppressing and controlling shrapnel ejection and explosion kinetic energy while destroying fragmentary and shrapnel munitions.
And yet another object of the present invention is to substantially destroy fragmentary and shrapnel containing munitions while negating the need to manually dismantle the munitions devices prior to destruction.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method to substantially destroy a fragmentary and shrapnel munition while negating the need to dispose of unspent hazardous and explosive materials inherent with conventional dismantling and destruction techniques.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention uses a flexible sheet of explosive material to substantially wrap the perimeter of the munition or shrapnel device that is to be destroyed. The flexible explosive material type and amount is dependent upon the device which is to be destroyed, along with other factors such as environment conditions, surroundings, potential hazardous contaminants, and the like. The munition device, substantially wrapped with flexible explosive material, is then placed on a support bed of explosion absorbing material, such as pea gravel. Destruction of the munition device occurs when the flexible sheet of explosive material is detonated, thereby imploding upon and simultaneously detonating the munition device. The implosion of the flexible explosive material creates a counter-force against the explosive forces of the munition device and subsequent shrapnel ejection. The present invention thus drastically decreases the overall explosive kinetic energy released from the munition device and the quantity and size of shrapnel discharge and velocity.
An alternate embodiment of the present invention utilizes a preferably cylindrical tube and a pourable explosive material, in conjunction with the flexible explosive material substantially wrapped around the munition device. The cylindrical tube is of a sufficient size and shape to provide a void space between the interior walls of the tube and exterior surface of the flexible explosive wrapped munition device when the munition device is placed within the interior of the tube. The explosive wrapped munition device and cylindrical tube are placed on a support bed of explosion absorbing material, such as pea gravel. The pourable explosive material, preferably granular or powdered, is then poured within the void space between the interior walls of the cylindrical tube and the exterior surfaces of the explosive sheet-wrapped munition device. Destruction of the munition device occurs by simultaneously detonating the pourable explosive material, the flexible sheet explosive wrap and the munition device. The implosion of the flexible sheet material creates a counter-force against the explosive forces of the munition device. The pourable explosive material also implodes upon the munition device and subsequently provides further countering effects upon the munition device explosion as well as vaporizes any remaining shrapnel and material.
By utilizing the present invention, the munition is completely destroyed by its own explosion, wherein there are no remaining hazardous materials, such as remaining fuel or unspent explosives. Furthermore, the balancing effect of the imploding pourable explosive material and flexible sheet explosive material provides enough counteractive force to effectively reduce the amount and velocity of expelled shrapnel from the munition device destruction.